Province issues warning to Coquitlam pest control company over pesticide violations

A pest control company in Coquitlam has been warned by the B.C. Ministry of Environment after inspectors discovered multiple breaches of provincial pesticide rules, including the use of a prohibited product and failures in safety procedures and record-keeping.

The formal warning was issued on Aug. 21, to A-General Pest Control Ltd. following an inspection of the company’s Leclair Drive facility on July 14. The visit was intended to verify compliance with its pesticide use licence, which was granted in April and allows use of pesticides in structural settings, public land, and in service applications.

During the inspection, the officer reviewed pesticide application records from February, May, and July 2025, as well as the company’s annual use reports for 2023 and 2024, and found numerous infractions under the Integrated Pest Management Act.

Inspectors found the company’s record-keeping practices did not satisfy provincial standards. For example, application logs lacked details like the specific rate at which products were applied, prevailing weather conditions during outdoor treatments, and the advice given to property owners or tenants regarding safety precautions. Instead, inspectors noted the use of vague shorthand terms, which do not meet the regulation’s requirement for full documentation.

It was also discovered the company was not providing written notices before applying pesticides at residential properties. One technician acknowledged to inspectors that clients were only verbally informed of pesticide applications. 

The law requires that tenants, occupants, and property owners receive written treatment notices in advance, including information on re-entry times and safety measures.

Another area of concern was the improper storage and transport of rodenticides. Inspectors discovered that two products were being stored in plastic food containers not designed to hold pesticides. These containers were also missing labels identifying the active ingredients.

Regulations require pesticides to remain either in their original manufacturer’s packaging or in a container specifically designed and properly labelled for such use. 

The company was also found to have to use Maxforce Roach in February, despite the product no longer being federally registered under the Pest Control Act.

The ministry stressed that unregistered products are prohibited unless explicitly authorized under federal rules.

In its letter, the ministry warned the contraventions can have resulted in fines of up to $400,000, and administrative penalties of up to $40,000 are also possible. 

The warning requires the company to implement corrective measures and report back in writing within 30 days.

A-General Pest Control has a history of compliance issues, the warning noted. 

Previous advisories were issued in December 2022 and July 2023 related to record-keeping violations under the same legislation. As a result, the company’s file will now be prioritized for follow-up inspections, and the warning will remain on record as part of its compliance history, meaning any future violations could result in harsher enforcement actions.